FBI
Director Mueller Names John S. Pistole Assistant
Director for Counterterrorism
Washington,
DC - FBI Director Robert Mueller today named John
S. Pistole to be Assistant Director in charge of
the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. Mr. Pistole
has served as Acting Assistant Director for Counterterrorism
since June 17, 2003. Prior to that assignment, he
served as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism
Division, where he oversaw operations in international
and domestic terrorism, and terrorist financing.
He was also responsible for directing the National
Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Foreign Terrorist
Tracking Task Force, and the Terrorism Reports and
Requirements Section.
Mr. Pistole began his career with the FBI in 1983
as a Special Agent assigned to the Minneapolis Division,
where he investigated Organized Crime and Violent
Crimes. In 1985, Mr. Pistole was transferred to
the New York Division, where he focused on La Cosa
Nostra investigations. In 1990, he was promoted
to Supervisor in the Organized Crime Section at
FBI Headquarters. In that capacity, Mr. Pistole
distinguished himself by coordinating FBI efforts
to assist the Italian National Police in finding
those responsible for the assassinations of two
prominent Italian Magistrates.
In
1994, Mr. Pistole was promoted to field supervisor
of a White Collar Crime and Civil Rights squad in
Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1995, Mr. Pistole was
the FBI representative to a State Department delegation
sent to Sofia, Bulgaria to assess their laws and
police response to Russian/Eurasian Organized Crime
and Financial Crime. He also led FBI training on
three occasions at the International Law Enforcement
Academy in Budapest, Hungary.
In
1999, Mr. Pistole was promoted to the position of
Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Boston
Field Office. In November 1999, he led one aspect
of the investigation into the Egypt Air 990 crash
off the coast of Rhode Island.
In
July of 2001, Mr. Pistole was promoted to the position
of Inspector in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters,
where he led teams conducting evaluations and audits
of FBI field offices and Headquarters Divisions.
That same year, Mr. Pistole led a team that addressed
security issues in the wake of the arrest of Robert
Hanssen.
He
was appointed by Director Mueller to the position
of Deputy Assistant Director for the Counterterrorism
Division in April 2002.
Mr.
Pistole practiced law for two years prior to joining
the FBI.
#####
